Bone marrow aspiration needle

ABSTRACT

A bone marrow aspiration assembly including an outer cannula assembly, an inner cannula assembly, and a flexible seal. The outer cannula assembly includes an outer handle and an outer cannula defining a first passageway and including a plurality of first openings between a first end and a second end of the first passageway. The inner cannula assembly includes an inner handle and an inner cannula defining a second passageway and is configured to be received within the first passageway. The inner cannula includes a plurality of second openings between a first end and a second end of the second passageway. The flexible seal is mounted to the inner handle and positioned such that the seal contacts the outer cannula assembly when the inner cannula assembly is in cooperation with the outer cannula assembly to create a substantially airtight seal therebetween.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 12/849,412 filed on Aug. 3, 2010, the entire disclosure ofwhich is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates to bone marrow aspiration needles.

BACKGROUND

This section provides background information related to the presentdisclosure which is not necessarily prior art.

Autologous stem cell therapies often utilize a patient's bone marrow orconcentrated bone marrow aspirate to deliver autologous adultmononuclear stem cells to the patient for the treatment of a widevariety of disorders. Concentrated autologous cell therapies utilize invitro cell culture to expand a desired cell line, or a point-of-caredevice to concentrate the mononuclear cell-rich fraction (CRF), fordelivery to a desired treatment site. An exemplary point-of-care deviceis the MarrowStim™ device by Biomet Biologics, LLC of Warsaw, Ind.

Concentration of the mononuclear CRF is limited by the number ofrecovered mononuclear cells in the aspirate. Often, aspiration of four 1ml aspirates recovers almost twice the number of osteoblast progenitorcells as compared to a single 4 ml aspirate. This discrepancy is oftenattributed to aspirate dilution from peripheral blood. Harvestingsmaller volumes of aspirate from a variety of different locations, suchas along the curved iliac crest of the pelvis, can improve the baselineand concentrated mononuclear CRF, which will lead to more effective stemcell therapies.

SUMMARY

This section provides a general summary of the disclosure, and is not acomprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of its features.

The present teachings provide for a bone marrow aspiration assemblyincluding an outer cannula assembly, an inner cannula assembly, and aflexible seal. The outer cannula assembly includes an outer handle andan outer cannula defining a first passageway and including a pluralityof first openings between a first end and a second end of the firstpassageway. The inner cannula assembly includes an inner handle and aninner cannula defining a second passageway and is configured to bereceived within the first passageway. The inner cannula includes aplurality of second openings between a first end and a second end of thesecond passageway. The flexible seal is mounted to the inner handle andpositioned such that the seal contacts the outer cannula assembly whenthe inner cannula assembly is in cooperation with the outer cannulaassembly to create a substantially airtight seal therebetween. The innercannula is longitudinally and axially movable relative to the outercannula to simultaneously selectively align at least one first openingwith at least one second opening to permit aspiration of bone marrowtherethrough and to misalign at least one first opening and at least onesecond opening to restrict aspiration of bone marrow therethrough.

The present teachings further provide for a bone marrow aspirationassembly including an outer cannula assembly, an inner cannula assembly,and a polymeric seal. The outer cannula assembly includes an outerhandle and an outer cannula defining a plurality of elongated slots thatare arranged in distal, intermediate, and proximal groups along a firstlength of the outer cannula. Each group includes only a pair of opposingelongated slots, the elongated slots of neighboring groups are arrangedabout 120° relative to each other. The inner cannula assembly includesan inner handle and an inner cannula defining a plurality of circularopenings that are arranged in distal, intermediate, and proximal groupsalong a second length of the inner cannula. Each group includes opposingcircular openings, the circular openings of neighboring groups arelongitudinally aligned. A polymeric seal is between the inner cannulaassembly and the outer cannula assembly. The inner cannula is rotatedradially to selectively align the circular openings of only one of thedistal, intermediate, and proximal groups of the inner cannula with theelongated slots of only one of the distal, intermediate, and proximalgroups of the outer cannula to permit aspiration therethrough.

The present teachings also provide for a bone marrow aspiration assemblyincluding an outer cannula assembly, an inner cannula assembly, and apolymeric seal. The outer cannula assembly includes an outer handle witha locking knob. The outer cannula defines a plurality of elongated slotsthat are arranged in distal, intermediate, and proximal groups along afirst length of the outer cannula. Each group includes only a pair ofopposing elongated slots. The elongated slots of neighboring groups arearranged about 120° relative to each other. The inner cannula assemblyincludes an inner handle with a locking skirt defining a first lockingchannel, a second locking channel, and a third locking channel spacedapart at about 120° intervals around the locking skirt. Each of thefirst locking channel, the second locking channel, and the third lockingchannel are operable to individually cooperate with the locking knob ofthe outer handle. The inner cannula defines a plurality of circularopenings that are arranged in distal, intermediate, and proximal groupsalong a second length of the inner cannula. Each group includes opposingcircular openings. The circular openings of neighboring groups arelongitudinally aligned. A polymeric seal is between the inner cannulaassembly and the outer cannula assembly. The polymeric seal includes asquare cross-section. The inner cannula assembly is rotated radially andconnected to the outer cannula assembly by selectively locking thelocking knob within one of the first, second, or third locking channelsto selectively align the circular openings of only one of the distal,intermediate, and proximal groups of the inner cannula with theelongated slots of only one of the distal, intermediate, and proximalgroups of the outer cannula to permit aspiration therethrough

Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the descriptionprovided herein. The description and specific examples in this summaryare intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended tolimit the scope of the present disclosure.

DRAWINGS

The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only ofselected embodiments and not all possible implementations, and are notintended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a bone marrow aspiration assemblyaccording to the present teachings;

FIG. 2 illustrates an inner needle assembly separated from an outerneedle assembly of the bone marrow aspiration assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the bone marrow aspiration assembly;

FIG. 3A is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the bone marrowaspiration assembly showing cooperation between the inner needleassembly and the outer needle assembly;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an insert of the outer needle assembly;

FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional view of the insert of FIG. 4;

FIG. 5 is a top view of the insert;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a handle of the outer needle assembly;

FIG. 7A illustrates a distal end of each of an outer cannula (right sideof Figure) and an inner cannula (left side of Figure) of the bone marrowaspiration assembly;

FIG. 7B illustrates the inner cannula seated within the outer cannula;

FIG. 8A illustrates a distal end of each of another outer cannula (rightside of Figure) and another inner cannula (left side of Figure)according to the present teachings;

FIG. 8B illustrates a distal end of another outer cannula (right side ofFigure) and another inner cannula (left side of Figure) according to thepresent teachings;

FIG. 8C illustrates a distal end of a further outer cannula (right sideof Figure) and a further inner cannula (left side of Figure) accordingto the present teachings;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a distal side of a handle of the innerneedle assembly;

FIG. 9A is a perspective view of a connection region of the handle ofthe inner needle assembly;

FIG. 9B is a planar view of a distal end of the connection region;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a trocar (left side of Figure)configured to be received by the outer needle assembly (right side ofFigure);

FIG. 11 is an assembled view of the trocar in cooperation with the outerneedle assembly;

FIG. 12 is a posterior view of a pelvis with the inner cannula and theouter cannula engaging the iliac crest;

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the pelvis and illustrates the bonemarrow aspiration assembly engaging the pelvis, the assembly including atrocar mounted to the outer needle assembly;

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of the pelvis and illustrates the bonemarrow aspiration assembly engaging the pelvis, the assembly includingthe outer needle assembly and the inner needle assembly;

FIG. 15A is a top, cross-sectional view of interaction between the innerneedle assembly and the outer needle assembly in a first position;

FIG. 15B is a top, cross-sectional view of interaction between the innerneedle assembly and the outer needle assembly in a second position;

FIG. 15C is a top, cross-sectional view of interaction between the innerneedle assembly and the outer needle assembly in a third position;

FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of the pelvis and the bone marrowaspiration assembly of FIG. 1 in the first position engaging the pelvis,and a syringe for aspirating bone marrow from the pelvis;

FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of the bone marrow aspiration assemblyengaging the pelvis with the inner needle assembly and the outer needleassembly each in a first position such that openings of outer and innerdistal opening groups are aligned;

FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view of the bone marrow aspiration assemblyengaging the pelvis with the inner needle assembly and the outer needleassembly each in a second position such that openings of outer and innerintermediate opening groups are aligned;

FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view of the bone marrow aspiration assemblyengaging the pelvis with the inner needle assembly and the outer needleassembly each in a third position such that openings of outer and innerproximal opening groups are aligned;

FIG. 20 illustrates an outer needle assembly (right side of Figure) andan inner needle assembly (left side of Figure) of another bone marrowaspiration assembly of the present teachings;

FIG. 20A is another distal tip that may be provided with the outerneedle assembly of FIG. 20;

FIG. 21 is a perspective view of a bone piercing needle of the presentteachings;

FIG. 22 is a posterior view of a pelvis with the bone piercing needle ofFIG. 21 and the bone marrow aspiration assembly of FIG. 20 seatedtherein;

FIG. 23A illustrates a curved introducer needle according to the presentteachings;

FIG. 23B illustrates a flexible needle assembly according to the presentteachings;

FIG. 24 is a cross-sectional view of the pelvis with the bone piercingneedle of FIG. 21, the introducer needle of FIG. 23A, and the flexibleneedle of FIG. 23B seated therein;

FIG. 24A is similar to FIG. 24, but with the flexible needle including aplurality of circular openings;

FIG. 25 is a perspective view of another bone marrow aspiration assemblyaccording to the present teachings;

FIG. 26 is an exploded view of the bone marrow aspiration assembly ofFIG. 25 according to the present teachings;

FIG. 27 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the bone marrowaspiration assembly of FIG. 25 showing cooperation between an innerneedle assembly and an outer needle assembly;

FIG. 28 is a cross-sectional view of the bone marrow aspiration assemblyof FIG. 25 taken along line 28-28 of FIG. 25;

FIG. 29 is a perspective view of an inner handle of the bone marrowaspiration assembly of FIG. 25;

FIG. 30 is a perspective view of cooperation between an inner needleassembly and an outer needle assembly of the bone marrow aspirationassembly of FIG. 25; and

FIG. 31 is another perspective view of cooperation between the innerneedle assembly and the outer needle assembly of the bone marrowaspiration assembly of FIG. 25.

Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughoutthe several views of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference tothe accompanying drawings.

With initial reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, a bone marrow aspirationassembly according to the present teachings is generally illustrated atreference numeral 10. The assembly 10 generally includes an outer needleassembly 12 and an inner needle assembly 14.

The outer needle assembly 12 includes an outer handle 16 and an outercannula 18 extending therefrom. With additional reference to FIG. 3 andFIG. 3A, the outer handle 16 includes a proximal surface 20 and a distalsurface 22 opposite to the proximal surface 20. The distal surface 22has a raised neck 24 at a center thereof. The raised neck 24 includes adistal portion 26.

With reference to FIGS. 3 and 3A, the outer handle 16 defines a throughbore 28 extending between the proximal surface 20 and a center of thedistal portion 26 of the raised neck 24. A longitudinal axis A extendingthrough an axial center of the through bore 28 is perpendicular to eachof a plane extending across the proximal surface 20, a plane extendingacross the distal surface 22, and a plane extending across the distalportion 26 of the raised neck 24.

With reference to FIG. 3A, at approximately a mid-point of the throughbore 28, the outer handle 16 defines a stepped, annular retentionsurface 30. Between the retention surface 30 and the proximal surface 20is an annular flange 31 protruding into the through bore 28 toward thelongitudinal axis A. The outer handle 16 defines a plurality of diameterareas of the through bore 28 having diameters of various sizes.

A first area 29 is between the proximal surface 20 and the flange 31.From the proximal surface 20, the first area 29 tapers inward toward thelongitudinal axis A, and retains a generally uniform diameter about thelongitudinal axis A as it extends in the distal direction (toward thedistal surface 22) until it reaches the flange 31. A second area 33 isat the flange 31. The second area 33 has a diameter that is smaller thanthe diameter of the first area 29. A third area 35 is adjacent to theflange 31 on a distal side thereof (closest to the distal surface 22).The third area 35 has a diameter that is similar in size to the diameterof the first area 29. A fourth area 37 is between the annular retentionsurface 30 and the third area 35. A fifth area 39 is between the annularretention surface 30 and the distal portion 26 of the neck 24. The fiftharea 39 has the smallest diameter, which is generally uniform throughoutits length. The fourth area 37 has a diameter that is greater than thediameter of the fifth area 39, but smaller than the diameter of thesecond area 33.

With additional reference to FIGS. 4 and 4A, an insert 32 is seatedwithin the through bore 28. The insert 32 defines a center channel 34having a longitudinal axis that is common with the longitudinal axis A.Near a proximal end 36 of the insert 32, but spaced apart therefrom, isan annular recess 38 extending around an outer surface 40 of the insert32. Proximate to a distal end 42 of the insert 32, but spaced aparttherefrom, is an annular collar 44 extending from the insert 32 in adirection perpendicular to the longitudinal axis A. Between the annularrecess 38 and the annular collar 44, but closer to the annular recess38, is a pair of flexible retention fins 46.

The diameter of the center channel 34 is greatest at a portion 48 thatis at the proximal end 36. The diameter of the center channel 34 tapersinward from the proximal end 36 to a point along the length of thecenter channel 34 that is approximately even with the fins 46. Theremainder of the center channel 34, which extends along the longitudinalaxis A to the distal end 42 has a generally uniform diameter.

With additional reference to FIG. 5, protruding from a portion of theinsert 32 defining the large diameter portion 48 of the center channel34 are a series of raised surfaces or bumps 50. A first pair 52 a, asecond pair 52 b, and a third pair 52 c of the bumps 50 are arranged at120° intervals around the large diameter portion 48. The two bumps 50 ofeach pair 52 a, 52 b, and 52 c are spaced apart to securely receive aportion of the inner handle 90 therebetween, as described herein. FIGS.4 and 5 also illustrate six planar surfaces 54 of the outer surface 40,which are in a hexagonal arrangement and are between the collar 4 andthe fins 46. The planar surfaces 54 restrict rotational movement of theinsert 32 about the longitudinal axis A when seated in the through bore28.

As illustrated in FIGS. 3A and 6 for example, the insert 32 ispositioned within the through bore 28 of the handle 16 such that theproximal end 36 is at, or closely proximate to, the plane extendingacross the proximal surface 20 of the outer handle 16 and such that thedistal end 42 extends beyond the distal portion 26 of the raised neck24. The collar 44 abuts the distal portion 26 of the raised neck 24 andthe fins 46 are seated on the retention surface 30. The handle 16 can bemanufactured such that the insert 32 is a separately formed componentthat is inserted into the through bore 28 at the distal portion 26 untilthe annular, flexible fins 46 pass across the annular retention surface30, at which point they expand from a contracted or first position to anexpanded or second position to contact the annular retention surface 30.The collar 44 and the flexible fins 46 retain the insert 32 within thethrough bore 28.

Alternatively, the handle 16 can be manufactured such that the insert 32is molded together with the remainder of the handle 16 or the insert 32can be formed integral with the remainder of the handle 16 duringmanufacturing. The handle 16 and the insert 32 may also be manufacturedin any other suitable manner. Both the handle 16 and the insert 32 canbe made of any suitable material, such as a suitable polymer.

With reference to FIGS. 2 and 3 for example, the outer cannula 18includes a proximal end 58 and a distal end 60 and defines an outercannula passageway 62 that extends an entire length of the outer cannula18, from the proximal end 58 to the distal end 60. A longitudinal axis Aextending through an axial center of the outer cannula passageway 62 isaligned with the longitudinal axis A of the through bore 28 (see FIG.3); thus the longitudinal axis of the outer cannula passageway 62 isalso designated with reference letter A.

With additional reference to FIG. 7A, the distal end 60 is open andincludes a plurality of sharpened edges or teeth 64. The outer cannula18 defines a plurality of openings 66 between the distal end 60 and theproximal end 58. The openings 66 provide communication between thepassageway 62 and an exterior of the outer cannula 18.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, an outer distal set 68 and an outer proximalset 70 of the openings 66 are provided. Each of the outer distal set 68and the outer proximal set 70 include multiple openings 66 spaced apartalong the longitudinal axis A of the outer cannula 18. The outer distalset 68 is substantially similar to the outer proximal set 70. Thedescription of the outer distal set 68 below is therefore alsosufficient to describe the outer proximal set 70. Only one of the outerdistal set 68 and the outer proximal set 70 may be provided in someapplications. Additional sets of the openings 66 may also be included.

With specific reference to FIG. 7A, the outer distal set 68 will now bedescribed. The outer distal set 68 includes an outer distal openinggroup 72 a, an outer intermediate opening group 72 b, and an outerproximal opening group 72 c. The different outer opening groups 72 a, 72b, and 72 c are not radially aligned, but rather radially offset 120°from each other about axis A.

The outer distal opening group 72 a includes a first distal array 74 aof openings 66 and a second distal array 74 b of openings 66. The firstand the second distal arrays 74 a and 74 b are spaced 180° apart aboutthe radius of the outer cannula 18. Each of the first and the seconddistal arrays 74 a and 74 b include a plurality of the openings 66aligned parallel to the longitudinal axis A in the distal-to-proximaldirection. The first distal array 74 a includes four of the openings 66and the second distal array 74 b includes three of the openings 66. Noneof the openings 66 of the first distal array 74 a are aligned in thedistal to proximal direction with any of the openings 66 of the seconddistal array 74 b, but rather the openings 66 are spaced apart.

The intermediate opening group 72 b includes a first intermediate array76 a of openings 66 and a second intermediate array 76 b of openings 66,which are each substantially similar to the first and the second distalarrays 74 a and 74 b respectively. The only substantial differencebetween the intermediate opening group 72 b and the distal opening group72 a is that the first and the second intermediate arrays 76 a and 76 bare each radially rotated or shifted approximately 120° about thelongitudinal axis A as compared to the first and the second distalarrays 74 a and 74 b.

The proximal opening group 72 c includes a first proximal array 78 a ofopenings 66 and a second proximal array 78 b of openings 66. The firstproximal array 78 a is substantially similar to both the firstintermediate array 76 a and the first distal array 74 a. The secondproximal array 78 b is substantially similar to both the secondintermediate array 76 b and the second distal array 74 b. The onlysubstantial difference between the proximal opening group 72 c and boththe intermediate opening group 72 b and the distal opening group 72 a isthat the first and the second proximal arrays 78 a and 78 b are eachradially rotated or shifted approximately 120° about the longitudinalaxis A such that the first and the second proximal arrays 78 a and 78 bare not radially aligned with either the first and the secondintermediate arrays 76 a and 76 b or the first and the second distalarrays 74 a and 74 b.

With additional reference to FIG. 8A, the outer cannula 18 canalternatively include elongated slots 80, instead of the openings 66,which each extend parallel to the longitudinal axis A. Each of thearrays 74 a, 74 b (obscured behind array 74 a in FIG. 8A), 76 a, 76 b,78 a, and 78 b include two slots 80 that are radially aligned with eachother. The slots 80 of each of the first arrays 74 a, 76 a, and 78 a arealigned with the slots 80 of each of the corresponding second arrays 74b, 76 b, and 78 b such that they overlap along the longitudinal axis A.The distal opening group 72 a, the intermediate opening group 72 b, andthe proximal opening group 72 c are each orientated such that the slots80 of the different opening groups 72 a, 72 b, and 72 c are not radiallyaligned, but rather offset by 120° degrees each as illustrated. Thisoffset can also be 180°.

With additional reference to FIG. 8B, each of the outer cannula 18arrays 74 a, 74 b (obscured behind array 74 a in FIG. 8B), 76 a, 76 b,78 a, and 78 b can include, in place of the spaced apart slots 80 ofFIG. 8A, a single elongated slot 80 that extends parallel to thelongitudinal axis A. The single slots 80 of each of the first arrays 74a, 76 a, and 78 a, are aligned with the single slots 80 of each of thecorresponding second arrays 74 b, 76 b, and 78 b such that they overlapalong the longitudinal axis A. The distal opening group 72 a, theintermediate opening group 72 b, and the proximal opening group 72 c areeach orientated such that the slots 80 of the different opening groups72 a, 72 b, and 72 c are not radially aligned, but rather offset by120°. Further, and as illustrated in FIG. 8C, in place of each of thesingle slots 80, the outer cannula 18 can include four circular openings128 in the same orientation as the slots 80.

With reference to FIGS. 3 and 3A, the proximal end 58 of the outercannula 18 includes a pair of opposing flared surfaces 82 that extendoutward and away from the longitudinal axis A. At least a portion of theproximal end 58, including the flared surfaces 82, is seated within theinsert 32 to mount the outer cannula 18 to the outer handle 16 by way ofthe insert 32. The flared surfaces 82 extend within the portion of theinsert 32 defining the center channel 34 to secure the outer cannula 18to the insert. The outer cannula 18 may also be secured to the insert 32with a suitable adhesive or the insert 32 can be molded to the outercannula 18 during manufacturing. The outer cannula passageway 62 isaligned with the center channel 34 of the insert 32 to provide acontinuous passage from the proximal surface 20 of the handle 16 to thedistal end 60 of the outer cannula 18.

The outer cannula 18 can be made of any suitable polymer or metal andcan be rigid or flexible, as further discussed herein. For example,rigid stainless steel can be used, as well as flexible material, such asNitinol.

With reference to FIG. 2, the inner needle assembly 14 generallyincludes an inner handle 90 and an inner cannula 92 that extends fromthe inner handle 90 along longitudinal axis B. The inner handle 90includes a distal surface 94 and a proximal surface 96 that is oppositeto the distal surface 94. With continued reference to FIG. 2 andadditional reference to FIGS. 9, 9A, and 9B, the distal surface 94includes a connection region 98 at a center thereof. The connectionregion 98 includes a connection cone 100 between two connection tabs102.

The connection cone 100 has a tapered outer surface 104 that is taperedin the proximal to distal direction such that a diameter of the outersurface 104 is greatest at the distal surface 94. Extending from thetapered outer surface 104 is a first ridge 106 a, a second ridge 106 b,and a third ridge 106 c that are each positioned at 120° intervals aboutthe outer surface 104 of the cone 100. The ridges 106 are elongated andextend along a portion of a length of the outer surface 104. An innersurface 108 of the connection cone 100 defines an inner connectionchannel 110 that extends through the connection cone 100. The innersurface 108 is cylindrical and has a generally uniform diameterthroughout, which provides the inner connection channel 110 with auniform diameter.

The connection tabs 102 each terminate at a tooth 112. The teeth 112extend from their respective connection tabs 102 towards each other andoppose each other. The teeth 112 are sized to be received within theannular recess 38 of the insert 32.

The inner connection channel 110 is aligned along the longitudinal axisB with, and in communication with, a syringe receptacle 114 defined bythe inner handle 90, as illustrated in FIG. 3A for example. Thereceptacle 114 extends from the proximal surface 96 and into a portionof the inner handle 90. The receptacle 114 has an inner diameter that isgreatest at the proximal surface 96 of the inner cannula handle 90. Fromthe proximal surface 96, the inner diameter of the syringe receptacle114 tapers inward toward the longitudinal axis B, which is at an axialcenter of the syringe receptacle 114 and is co-linear with thelongitudinal axis A when the inner needle assembly 14 is in cooperationwith the outer needle assembly 12, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 3A.

The inner cannula 92 includes a proximal end 120 extending to thereceptacle 114 and a distal end 122 that terminates at a closed tip 124.The inner cannula 92 defines an inner cannula passageway 126, asillustrated in FIGS. 3 and 3A, for example. The longitudinal axis Bextends through an axial center of the inner cannula passageway 126.Between the proximal end 120 and the distal end 122 of the inner cannula92 are a plurality of openings or ports 128, which provide communicationbetween the inner cannula passageway 126 and an exterior of the innercannula 92. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the openings 128 are arranged inan inner distal set 130 and an inner proximal set 132. The inner distalset 130 is substantially similar to the inner proximal set 132 and thusthe below description of the inner distal set 130 also describes theinner proximal set 132. As with the outer distal and proximal sets 68and 70, only one of the inner sets 130 and 132 need be provided, oradditional inner sets of the openings 128 can be provided depending onthe application. The number of sets of openings 128 provided willgenerally correspond to the number and sets of openings 66 provided.

With reference to FIG. 7A, the inner distal set 130 includes an innerdistal opening group 134 a, an inner intermediate opening group 134 b,and an inner proximal opening group 134 c. Unlike the outer openinggroups 72 a, 72 b, and 72 c of the outer distal set 68, the inneropening groups 134 a, 134 b, and 134 c are all radially aligned alongthe longitudinal axis B.

The inner distal opening group 134 a includes a first inner distal array136 a of openings 128 and a second inner distal array 136 b of openings128. The first inner distal array 136 a is radially spaced apart 180°from the second inner distal array 136 b. The first inner distal array136 a is substantially similar to the first outer distal array 74 a ofopenings 66. The second inner distal array 136 b is substantiallysimilar to the second outer distal array 74 b. Thus, the first innerdistal array 136 a includes four openings 128 radially aligned andspaced apart along a line parallel to the longitudinal axis B and thesecond inner distal array 136 b includes three openings 128 that areradially aligned and spaced apart along a line parallel to thelongitudinal axis B. The openings 128 of the first inner distal array136 a and the openings 128 of the second inner distal array 136 b arenot aligned in the distal to proximal direction, but rather staggeredsuch that the openings 128 of the second inner distal array 136 b arebetween the openings 128 of the first inner distal array 136 a in thedistal to proximal direction of the inner cannula 92.

The inner intermediate opening group 134 b and the inner proximalopening group 134 c are radially aligned with, and are substantiallysimilar to, the inner distal opening group 134 a, but spaced apart fromthe inner distal opening group 134 a along the longitudinal axis B.Therefore, the description of the inner distal opening group 134 a isalso sufficient to describe both the inner intermediate opening group134 b and the inner proximal opening group 134 c.

As illustrated in FIG. 3A, the proximal end 120 of the inner cannula 92includes a syringe connector 140 having external threads 142. Thesyringe connector 140 may have any configuration suitable to couple asyringe to the inner cannula 92 in order to aspirate material therethrough, such as bone marrow, as further described herein.

The inner cannula 92 can be made of a suitable polymer or metal and canbe rigid or flexible. For example, rigid stainless steel can be used, aswell as flexible material, such as Nitinol.

As illustrated in FIG. 8A, in place of the circular openings 128 theinner cannula 92 can include openings 129 shaped as elongated slotsextending parallel to the longitudinal axis B. Each inner opening group134 a, 134 b, and 134 c can include a pair of the slotted openings 129orientated at 180° relative to each other. The pairs of openings 129 ofthe inner distal opening groups 134 a, 134 b, and 134 c are eachradially aligned.

As illustrated in FIG. 8B, each of the slotted openings 129 can bereplaced with a group of four circular openings 128 provided in the sameorientation as the slotted openings 129. With reference to FIG. 8C, theinner cannula 92 with slotted openings 129 can also be used inconjunction with the outer cannula 18 including the circular openings128. Use of the slotted openings 80/129 facilitates alignment betweenopenings of the outer cannula 18 and the inner cannula 92, which permitsuse of greater manufacturing tolerances leading to lower productioncosts. For example and with reference to FIG. 8A, alignment between theslots 80 of the outer cannula 18 and the elongated slots 129 of theinner cannula 92 is easier than alignment between, for example, thecircular openings 66 and 128 of FIG. 7A.

With additional reference to FIGS. 10 and 11, a trocar is illustrated atreference numeral 200. The trocar 200 generally includes a trocar handle202 and a trocar needle 204 extending therefrom. The trocar handle 202includes a distal surface 206 and a proximal surface 208 that isopposite to the distal surface 206. The trocar needle 204 includes aproximal end 210 and a distal end 212. The proximal end 210 is attachedto a connector 214 at a center of the distal surface 206 of the trocarhandle 202 with a press-fit, for example. The distal end 212 includes apointed tip 216. The trocar needle 204 is rigid and made from anysuitable rigid material, such as a suitable metal. At opposite sides ofthe connector 214 are locking tabs 218 configured to cooperate with theannular recess 38 of the insert 32 of the outer handle 16 to secure thetrocar 200 to the outer handle 16, as further described herein.

With continued reference to FIGS. 1-11 and additional reference to FIGS.12-19, use of the outer needle assembly 12, the inner needle assembly14, and the trocar 200 to aspirate bone marrow will now be described.While aspiration of bone marrow from a posterior iliac crest 302 of apelvis 300 is described, the outer needle assembly 12, the inner needleassembly 14, and the trocar 200 can be used to retrieve/isolate avariety of biological materials from a variety of different sources.

With initial reference to FIGS. 12 and 13, cortical bone 304 andcancellous bone 306 of the iliac crest 302 is initially pierced with asuitable piercing device, such as the trocar 200. As illustrated in FIG.13, the trocar 200 can be coupled with the outer needle assembly 12 suchthat the trocar needle 204 extends through the outer cannula passageway62 and the distal end 212 of the trocar needle 204, including thepointed tip 216, extends beyond the teeth 64 of the distal end 60 of theouter cannula 18. The teeth 64 facilitate piercing and cutting of thecortical bone 304 and the cancellous bone 306 of the iliac crest 302.

The trocar 200 can be secured to the outer needle assembly 12 throughcooperation between the locking tabs 218 of the handle 202 and theannular recess 38 of the insert 32 of the outer handle 16. Once theouter cannula 18 is in a desired position and at a desired bone depthwithin the cancellous bone 306, the trocar 200 can be removed fromcooperation with the outer needle assembly 12, which is left in positionin the iliac crest 302.

With reference to FIG. 14, the inner needle assembly 14 is coupled tothe outer needle assembly 12 seated in the iliac crest 302 by insertingthe inner cannula 92 within the outer cannula 18 such that the distalend 122 of the inner cannula 92, including the closed tip 124, extendsbeyond the distal end 60 of the outer cannula 18. The connection tabs102 are coupled to the annular recess 38 of the insert 32 of the outerhandle 16 to lock the inner needle assembly 14 to the outer needleassembly 12. The connection cone 100 of the inner cannula handle 90 isseated within the insert 32 such that each of the ridges 106 of the cone100 are between bumps 50 of each pair of bumps 52, as illustrated inFIG. 15A.

The longitudinal axis A of the outer needle assembly 12 is aligned withthe longitudinal axis B when the inner needle assembly 14 is coupled tothe outer needle assembly 12, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 3A forexample. The outer cannula 18 and the inner cannula 92 are arranged suchthat the outer distal set 68 and the outer proximal set 70 of openings66 are each aligned along the longitudinal axes A and B with the innerdistal set 130 and the inner proximal set 132 of openings 128respectively.

Because the recess 38 is annular, the inner needle assembly 14 can berotated with respect to the outer needle assembly 12 about thelongitudinal axis A of the outer needle assembly 12, while maintainingalignment of the longitudinal axis A and the longitudinal axis B. Theinner needle assembly 14 is generally rotated between a first position(FIG. 15A), a second position (FIG. 15B), and a third position (FIG.15C).

As illustrated in FIG. 15A, in the first position the first ridge 106 aof the connection core 100 is between the bumps 50 of the first pair ofbumps 52 a, the second ridge 106 b is seated between the bumps 50 of thesecond pair of bumps 52 b, and the third ridge 106 c is seated betweenthe bumps 50 of the third pair of bumps 52 c. Each opening 66 of theouter distal opening group 72 a is aligned with an opening 128 of theinner distal opening group 134 a. In particular and with reference toFIGS. 16 and 17, the openings 66 of the first and the second outerdistal arrays 74 a/74 b are aligned with the openings 128 of the firstand the second inner distal arrays 136 a and 136 b respectively, thuspermitting aspiration of material, such as bone marrow, there through.In contrast, the openings 66 of the outer intermediate and outerproximal arrays 76 a, 76 b, 78 a, and 78 b are not aligned with theopenings 128 of the inner intermediate and inner proximal arrays 138 a,138 b, 140 a, and 140 b, thus restricting aspiration of bone marrowthere through.

With reference to FIG. 16, aspiration is performed using any suitabledevice, such as a syringe 400. The syringe 400 generally includes a luerlock 402 with threads 404 and a chamber 406 including a plunger 408(chamber 406 and plunger 408 are conventional features that arepartially illustrated). The syringe 400 is connected to the inner handle90 through cooperation between the threads 404 of the luer lock 402 andthe threads 142 at the proximal end 120 of the inner cannula 92. As theplunger 408 is pulled away from the luer lock 402, a negative pressureis established in the chamber 406 and in the passageway 126 of the innercannula 92, thereby drawing bone marrow through the aligned openings 66and 128 through the passageway 126 of the inner cannula 92 and into thechamber 406 of the syringe 400. Thus, when the inner needle assembly 14is in the first position relative to the outer needle assembly 12, bonemarrow can be aspirated from an area of the iliac crest 302 that is inclose proximity to the outer distal opening group 72 a and the innerdistal opening group 134 a.

With reference to FIGS. 15B and 18, to aspirate bone marrow from an areaof the iliac crest 302 that is proximate to the outer intermediateopening group 72 b and the inner intermediate opening group 134 b, theinner needle assembly 14 is rotated 120° about the longitudinal axes Aand B from the first position to the second position. In the secondposition, the first ridge 106 a is locked between the bumps 50 of thesecond pair of bumps 52 b, the second ridge 106 b is locked between thebumps 50 of the third pair of bumps 52 c and the third ridge 106 c islocked between the bumps 50 of the first pair of bumps 52 a. In thissecond position, as illustrated in FIG. 18, the openings 66 of the firstand the second outer intermediate arrays 76 a/76 b are aligned with theopenings 128 of the first and the second inner intermediate arrays 138a/138 b respectively, thus permitting aspiration of material, such asbone marrow, there through. In contrast, the openings 66 of the outerdistal and proximal arrays 74 a, 74 b, 78 a, and 78 b are not alignedwith the openings 128 of the inner distal and proximal arrays 136 a, 136b, 140 a, 140 b, thus restricting aspiration of bone marrow therethrough.

With reference to FIGS. 15 c and 19, to aspirate bone marrow from anarea of the iliac crest 302 that is proximate to the outer proximalopening group 72 c and the inner proximal opening group 134 c, the innerneedle assembly 14 is rotated 120 degrees about the longitudinal axes Aand B from the second position to the third position. In the thirdposition, the first ridge 106 a is locked between the bumps 50 of thethird pair of bumps 52 c, the second ridge 106 b is locked between thebumps 50 of the first pair of bumps 52 a, and the third ridge 106 c islocked between the bumps 50 of the second pair of bumps 52 b. In thisthird position, as illustrated in FIG. 19, the openings 66 of the firstand the second outer proximal arrays 78 a/78 b are aligned with theopenings 128 of the first and the second inner proximal arrays 140 a/140b respectively, thus permitting aspiration of material, such as bonemarrow, there through. In contrast, the openings 66 of the outer distaland intermediate arrays 74 a, 74 b, 76 a, and 76 b are not aligned withthe openings 128 of the inner distal and intermediate arrays 136 a, 136b, 138 a, 138 b, thus restricting aspiration of bone marrow therethrough.

The outer proximal set 70 of openings 66 is substantially similar to theouter distal set 68 of openings 66. The inner proximal set 132 ofopenings 128 is substantially similar to the inner distal set 130 ofopenings 128. Thus, alignment of the openings 66 and the openings 128 ofthe outer proximal and inner proximal sets 70 and 132 respectively ineach of the first position, the second position, and the third positionis the same as the alignment of the openings 66 and 128 of the outer andthe inner distal sets 68 and 130 in each of the first, the second, andthe third positions.

Thus, cooperation between the outer needle assembly 12 and the innerneedle assembly 14 permits aspiration of bone marrow from threedifferent areas of the iliac crest 250. The three different areas arerelatively offset both radially and longitudinally without having tomove the outer needle assembly 12. Such movement may cause patientdiscomfort and increase the complexity of the procedure.

With additional reference to FIG. 20, another bone marrow aspirationassembly according to the present teachings is illustrated at referencenumeral 10′. The aspiration assembly 10′ is similar to the assembly 10described above and thus like features are designated with the samereference numerals, but include the prime symbol (′). The assembly 10generally includes an outer needle assembly 12′ including an outercannula 18′ and an inner needle assembly 14′ including an inner cannula92′.

The outer cannula 18′ and the inner cannula 92′ are both flexible andcan be made of any suitable flexible material, such as a suitablepolymer or Nitinol. The outer cannula 18′ is illustrated as includingslots 80′ and the inner cannula 92′ is illustrated as including slots129′ arranged in the same manner as illustrated in FIG. 8 on theassembly 10 (i.e. proximal, intermediate, and distal groups of slots80/129 each positioned 120° apart radially). However, the slots 80′ and129′ can be provided in any suitable arrangement and/or shape to permitaspiration through selective slots 80′ and 129′ (or openings 66/128) byrotating the inner cannula 92′ with respect to the outer cannula 18′.For example, the slots 80′ and 129′ can be arranged in two groups ofslots 80′/129′ positioned 120° apart radially or can have thearrangement of circular openings 66/128 illustrated in, for example,FIGS. 7A and 7B.

With reference to FIG. 21, a bone piercing needle is illustrated atreference numeral 450. The bone piercing needle 450 includes a head 452,a cannula 454 terminating at an open tip 456, and a collar 458 betweenthe head 452 and the cannula 454. The bone piercing needle 450 issubstantially shorter in length than the bone marrow aspiration assembly10′ and is rigid throughout. The cannula 454 is about 3-4 inches inlength. The bone piercing needle 450 can be made of any suitable rigidmaterial, such as a metal.

With additional reference to FIG. 22, use of the bone piercing needle450 and the aspiration assembly 10′ to aspirate bone marrow from thepelvis 300 will now be described. The bone piercing needle 450 is driveninto the pelvis 300 such that the collar 458 is at an outer surface ofthe iliac crest 302 and the cannula 454 extends through the corticalbone 304 to the cancellous bone 306. With the inner needle assembly 14′mated with the outer needle assembly 12′, the inner and outer cannulas18′ and 92′ are inserted into the iliac crest 302 either through thecannula 454 when the bone piercing needle 450 is left in the pelvis 300or through the opening created in the pelvis 300 when the bone piercingneedle 450 is removed. Because the inner and outer cannulas 18′ and 92′are flexible, they are able to track along a curved perimeter 308 of theiliac crest 302, which is typically a rich source of bone marrow. Toaspirate bone marrow from the iliac crest 302, a syringe is attached tothe assembly 10′, which is operated in the same manner as the assembly10 described above.

The assembly 10′ may also include the trocar 200 of FIG. 10, or anyother suitable trocar or rigid device, which can be inserted within theouter cannula 18′ to facilitate insertion of the outer cannula 18′ intothe iliac crest 302. The outer cannula 18′ may have an open tip 60′ asillustrated in FIG. 20, or it may have a closed tip (FIG. 20A). When thetip 60′ is open, the trocar 200 may extend beyond the tip 60′.

With additional reference to FIG. 23A, an introducer needle isillustrated at reference numeral 500. The introducer needle 500generally includes a handle 502 and a cannula 504. The handle 502includes a center connector 506 with an annular recess 508 extendingabout an exterior surface thereof. The connector 506 includes an opening510 extending through a center thereof. The opening 510 extends throughthe handle 502 and is in communication with the cannula 504.

The cannula 504 includes a proximal end 512 secured to the handle 502and a distal end 514 that is opposite to the proximal end 512. Thedistal end 514 includes an open tip 516 that may include sharpened edges518 to facilitate positioning of the of the introducer needle 500 at animplantation site. The cannula 504 defines a channel 520 that extendsbetween the proximal end 512 and the distal end 514. The channel 520 isin cooperation with the opening 510 to provide a continuous passagewaythrough the introducer needle 500.

The cannula 504 is rigid and curved between the proximal end 512 and thedistal end 514. The cannula 504 can have any suitable shape and anysuitable degree of curvature to match or closely approximate either theoverall natural curve of the iliac crest or specific portions thereof tofacilitate positioning the cannula 504 proximate to areas with thegreatest amount of bone marrow. The cannula 504 can be curved along itsentire length or only portions thereof. The cannula 504 can be made ofany suitable material, such as a suitable metal. The cannula 504 canoptionally include holes along its length in communication with thechannel 520, such as the openings 66 or the slots 80 of the outercannula 18, which can be provided in any suitable size, shape, andarrangement, such as the arrangement herein with respect to the outercannula 18.

A flexible needle assembly 550 is illustrated in FIG. 23B. The flexibleneedle assembly 550 is substantially similar to the inner needleassembly 14′ and therefore similar features are designated with the samereference numerals, but with the prime (′) symbol added. Unlike theinner needle assembly 14′, the assembly 550 as illustrated includes onlya single pair of slots 129′ at the distal end 122′, but can include anysuitable number of slots 129′ or openings (such as openings 128 asarranged in FIGS. 2 and 7A) in any suitable shape, number, orarrangement, such as is provided with the inner needle assembly 14 or14′.

With additional reference to FIG. 24, use of the curved introducerneedle 500 to aspirate bone marrow from the iliac crest 302 of thepelvis 300 will now be described. The cortical bone 304 of the iliaccrest 302 is initially pierced with the bone piercing needle 450, whichis driven within the iliac crest 302 such that the open tip 456 extendsto within the cancellous bone 306. The cannula 504 of the introducerneedle 500 is then inserted through the cannula 454 of the bone piercingneedle 450 and into the iliac crest 302. The bone piercing needle 450can be curved, as illustrated, to accommodate the introducer needle. Thecurvature of the cannula 504 is similar to the curvature of theperimeter 308 of the iliac crest 302 and thus the cannula 504 can bepositioned proximate to the perimeter 308, an area rich in bone marrow,along at least a majority of its length. Alternatively, the bonepiercing needle 450 can be removed prior to insertion of the cannula504, which can be inserted through the opening in the iliac crest 302formed by insertion of the cannula 454.

Once the cannula 504 of the introducer needle 500 is at an area of theiliac crest 302 from which bone marrow is to be aspirated, the flexibleneedle assembly 550 can be mated with the introducer needle 500 suchthat the tabs 102′ are coupled to the annular recess 508 and the innercannula 92′ extends through the channel 520 such that the distal end122′, including a portion with the slots 129′ (illustrated as aplurality of circular openings in FIG. 24A), extends beyond the distalend 514. To aspirate bone marrow, a syringe 400 can be coupled tothreads of the cannula handle 90′ (in a manner substantially similar tothat illustrated in FIG. 16) to aspirate bone marrow through the slots129′ of the inner cannula. Alternatively, a syringe can be attacheddirectly to the connector 506 of the introducer needle 500 to aspiratebone marrow directly through the open tip 516. The flexible needleassembly 550 can be rotated to aspirate bone marrow from different areasof the iliac crest 302.

When the cannula 504 includes the slots 80 or the openings 66 of theouter cannula 18 and the cannula 92′ includes the slots 129 or theopenings 128 of the inner cannula 92, as arranged in FIGS. 7A and 8 forexample, bone marrow may be aspirated through select slots 80/129 oropenings 66/128 by rotating the flexible needle assembly 550 relative tothe cannula 504 to provide selective alignment, and selectiveaspiration, through the different slots 80/129 or openings 66/128 in thesame manner as described in FIGS. 15 and 17-19 with respect to use ofthe outer needle assembly 12 and the inner needle assembly 14.

With additional reference to FIGS. 25 and 26, another bone marrowaspiration assembly according to the present teachings is illustrated atreference numeral 610. The aspiration assembly 610 generally includes anouter needle assembly 612 and an inner needle assembly 614.

The outer needle assembly 612 generally includes an outer handle 616 andan outer cannula 618. The outer handle 616 includes a proximal surface620 and a distal surface 622. At approximately a center of the distalsurface 622 is a raised neck 624, which defines a distal opening 626 ofa through bore 628. A proximal opening 630 of the through bore 628 (FIG.27) is near the proximal surface 620 of the outer handle 616 between afirst wing 632 and a second wing 634 of the outer handle 616. Theproximal opening 630 is defined by a proximal center flange 636, whichis between, but spaced apart from, the first wing 632 and the secondwing 634. Extending from an exterior surface of the center flange 636 isa locking knob 638 (FIGS. 25 and 28). The locking knob 638 may be at anysuitable position on the exterior surface of the center flange 636, suchas halfway between the first wing 632 and the second wing 634.

With reference to FIG. 26, the outer handle 616 defines a receptacle 642between the distal opening 626 and the proximal opening 630. Thereceptacle 642 is sized and shaped to receive a first locking tab 650and a second locking tab 652, which is substantially the same as thefirst locking tab 650. Each of the first locking tab 650 and the secondlocking tab 652 include an outer surface 654 and an inner surface 656that is opposite to the outer surface 654. At a center of each of theinner surfaces 656 is a semi-circular retainer 658 configured to retainan insert 660 (further described herein) within the through bore 628. Onopposite sides of each retainer 658 are clips 662, each of which aresized and shaped to cooperate with apertures 664 (FIG. 27) defined inthe outer handle 616 at the receptacle 642.

With reference to FIGS. 26 and 27, the insert 660 generally includes aproximal end 670 and a distal end 672. The insert 660 defines an insertbore 674, which extends between the proximal end 670 and the distal end672. At the proximal end 670, the insert 660 defines a generally planarproximal surface 676. Between the proximal end 670 and the distal end672 is a neck portion 678. As illustrated in FIG. 27, the insert 660 isseated within the through bore 628 and secured therein with the firstand second locking tabs 650, 652 through interaction between theretainers 658 and the neck portion 678 of the insert 660.

The outer cannula 618 includes a proximal end 680 and a distal end 682,which is opposite to the proximal end 680. The proximal end 680 issecured within the insert bore 674 of the insert 660 in any suitablemanner, such as with a fastener or an overmold, in instances where theinsert 660 is polymeric. The distal end 682 includes sharpened edges orteeth 684 suitable to pierce bone, for example. As illustrated, theouter cannula 618 defines a plurality of elongated slots 80 in theconfiguration of FIG. 8B described in detail above. However, the outercannula 618 can define openings of any suitable size or shape. Forexample, the outer cannula 618 can includes the circular openings 66 inthe arrangement of FIG. 7A described above, the spaced apart slots 80 ofFIG. 8, which are shorter than the slots 80 of FIG. 8B, or circularopenings 128 in the arrangement of FIG. 8C described above. The outercannula 618 can be made of any suitable metal, such as a suitable metalor polymer. The outer cannula 618 can be rigid or flexible as well.

The inner needle assembly 614 generally includes an inner handle 702 andan inner cannula 704. The inner handle 702 includes a proximal end 706and a distal end 708. With additional reference to FIG. 29, at a centerof the inner handle 702 is a connection cone 710. The connection cone710 has a tapered outer surface 712 such that an outer diameter of thetapered outer surface 712 is greatest proximate to the distal end 708.The connection cone 710 defines a connection channel 714 that extendsthrough the connection cone 710. The inner cannula 704 extends fromwithin the connection channel 714 and is secured therein in any suitablemanner, such as with a suitable adhesive or mechanical locking feature.

The connection channel 714 is aligned with a syringe receptacle 720 atthe proximal end 706 of the inner handle 702. The syringe receptacle 720includes a tapered inner surface 722 that tapers inward from theproximal end 706. Opposite to the tapered inner surface 722 is an outersurface 724, which includes threads 726 for cooperating with a suitablesyringe, such as threads of a Luer lock. At the proximal end 706 of theinner handle 702 are handle tabs 730. While three separate handle tabs730 are arranged at approximately 120° about the proximal end 706, anysuitable number of handle tabs 730 can be provided at any suitableorientation to facilitate alignment of the inner cannula 704 withrespect to the outer cannula 618, as further described herein.

Surrounding the connection cone 710 is a seal or washer recess 732. Thewasher recess 732 is generally annular and defined within the innerhandle 702. Seated within the washer recess 732 is a seal or washer 736.The washer 736 can be any suitable seal or washer made of any suitablematerial, such as a suitable polymer. The washer 736 can be flexible orrigid. As illustrated in FIG. 27, the washer 736 can have a generallysquare cross-section. The washer 736 may have any other suitablecross-sectional shape as well, such as circular. The washer 736 can besecured within the washer recess 732 in any suitable manner, such aswith a press-fit, a suitable adhesive, or with a suitable mechanicalconnection. As illustrated in FIG. 27 and further described herein, whenthe inner needle assembly 614 is connected to the outer needle assembly612, the washer 736 contacts the planar proximal surface 676 of theinsert 660 to provide a seal therebetween. In addition to being includedwith the bone marrow aspiration assembly 610, the seal or washer 736, orany other suitable seal, can be provided between the inner needleassembly and the outer needle assembly of any other embodiment describedherein. For example and with reference to FIG. 3A, the washer 736 or anyother suitable seal can be provided between the insert 32 and theconnection region 98, such as between the connection tabs 102.

Surrounding the connection cone 710 and the washer 736 is a lockingskirt 740. The locking skirt 740 generally includes a first lockingchannel 742, a second locking channel 744, and a third locking channel746. The first, second, and third locking channels 740, 742, and 744 arespaced apart about the locking skirt 740 at about 120° intervals. Thefirst locking channel 742 is aligned with a number “1” printed on anexterior of the inner handle 702 (FIG. 29), the second locking channel744 is aligned with a number “2” printed on the exterior of the innerhandle 702 (FIG. 30), and the third locking channel 746 is aligned witha number “3” printed on the exterior of the inner handle 702 (FIG. 31).Each of the first, second, and third locking channels 742, 744, and 746generally include a first portion 748 that extends from the distal end708 in a direction generally parallel to the connection channel 714 andthe inner cannula 704. A second portion 750 extends from the firstportion 748 in a direction that is generally perpendicular to theconnection channel 714 and the inner cannula 704. Each of the secondportions 750 are partially defined by a tab 752 with a raised surface756.

The first, second, and third locking channels 742, 744, and 746 aresized and shaped to receive the locking knob 638 of the outer needleassembly 612 to facilitate selective and orderly alignment of the innercannula 704 with respect to the outer cannula 618. For example, inposition “1” the inner cannula 704 is arranged such that the lockingknob 638 is seated within the first locking channel 742, which resultsin only the outer distal opening group 72 a being aligned with the innerdistal opening group 134 a. In position “2”, the inner cannula 704 isarranged such that the locking knob 638 is seated within the secondlocking channel 744, which results in only the outer intermediateopening group 72 b being aligned with the inner intermediate openinggroup 134 b. In position “3”, the inner cannula 704 is arranged suchthat the locking knob 638 is seated within the third locking channel746, which results in only the outer proximal opening group 72 c beingaligned with the inner proximal opening group 134 c.

As illustrated in FIG. 26, the inner cannula 704 includes a proximal end760, which is secured within the connection channel 714 of the insert660, and a distal end 762 that terminates at a closed tip 764. Asillustrated, the inner cannula 704 includes a plurality of circularopenings 128 provided in the same number and arrangement of the innercannula 92 described above with respect to FIG. 8B. The inner cannula704 can define openings of any suitable size or shape. For example, theinner cannula 704 can include the circular openings 128 in thearrangement of FIG. 7A described above, the elongated slots 129 of FIGS.8A and 8C, or slots that are shorter than the slots 129, such as theslots 80 of the outer cannula 18 (FIG. 8A), which are shorter than theslots 129. Regardless of the types of openings provided, they arearranged into three linearly aligned groups—an inner distal openinggroup 134 a, an inner intermediate opening group 134 b, and an innerproximal opening group 134 c.

Use of the bone marrow aspiration assembly 610 will now be described.The bone marrow aspiration assembly 610 is used in a mannersubstantially similar to use of the other bone marrow aspirationassemblies described herein, such as the bone marrow aspiration assembly10. Thus, the use of the other bone marrow aspiration needle assembliesdescribed herein also applies to the assembly 610. To pierce corticalbone 304 and cancellous bone 306 of the iliac crest 302 (FIGS. 12 and13), the trocar 200 can be mounted to the outer needle assembly 612 bysuitably modifying the trocar handle 202 so that the trocar handle 202is configured to mate with the outer handle 616. The cortical bone 304,the cancellous bone 306, and the iliac crest 302 can be pierced insubstantially the same manner as described above in connection with thediscussion of the assembly 10 and the trocar 200.

The inner needle assembly 614 is coupled with the outer needle assembly612 such that the inner cannula 704 extends through the outer cannula618 and the inner opening groups 134 a, 134 b, and 134 c are eachlongitudinally aligned with the outer opening groups 72 a, 72 b, and 72c respectively. But only one of the inner opening groups 134 a, 134 b,and 134 c is radially aligned with one of the outer opening groups 72 a,72 b, and 72 c. As illustrated in FIG. 25 for example, the slot 80 ofthe outer distal opening group 72 a is radially aligned with theopenings 128 of the inner distal opening group 134 a when the innerhandle 702 is in the first position of FIG. 1, in which a numeral “1”printed on an exterior of the inner handle 702 is aligned with thelocking knob 638 and the inner handle 702 is arranged such that thelocking knob 638 is seated within the first locking channel 742 beyondthe raised surface 756 to lock the inner handle 702 in the firstposition.

In the first position of FIG. 1, a suitable syringe (not shown) can beconnected to the inner handle 702 at the proximal end 706 throughcooperation with the threads 726 to draw bone marrow aspirate, forexample, through the slots 80 and openings 128 of the aligned outerdistal opening group 72 a and the inner distal opening group 134 a. Dueto the presence of the washer 736 between the insert 660 and the innerhandle 702, air is restricted from passing into the inner cannula 704 atthe interface between the insert 660 and the inner handle 702, therebydecreasing the amount of negative pressure that must be exerted by thesyringe in order to draw bone marrow aspirate, for example, through theinner cannula 704. Without the washer 736, it would be more difficult todraw the bone marrow aspirate through the inner cannula 704 and into theattached syringe.

With additional reference to FIG. 30, to draw bone marrow aspirate, forexample, through the inner and outer intermediate opening groups 72b/134 b, the inner handle 702 is unlocked from the knob 638 and rotated120° so that the second locking channel 744, which is aligned with thenumeral “2”, is aligned with the knob 638. The inner handle 702 islocked onto the knob 638 by positioning the knob 638 within the secondlocking channel 744 beyond the raised surface 756. Thus, in position “2”the inner and outer intermediate opening groups 72 b/134 b are radiallyaligned.

With additional reference to FIG. 31, to draw bone marrow aspirate, forexample, through the inner and outer proximal opening groups 72 c and134 c, the inner handle 702 is unlocked from the knob 638 and rotated120° so that the third locking channel 746, which is aligned with thenumeral “3”, is aligned with the knob 638. The inner handle 702 islocked onto the knob 638 by positioning the knob 638 within the thirdlocking channel 746 beyond the raised surface 756. Thus, in position “3”the inner and outer proximal opening groups 72 c/134 c are radiallyaligned. The foregoing description of the embodiments has been providedfor purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to beexhaustive or to limit the invention. Individual elements or features ofa particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particularembodiment, but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can be usedin a selected embodiment, even if not specifically shown or described.The same may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to beregarded as a departure from the invention, and all such modificationsare intended to be included within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A bone marrow aspiration assembly comprising: anouter cannula assembly including an outer handle and an outer cannuladefining a plurality of elongated slots that are arranged in distal,intermediate, and proximal groups along a first length of the outercannula, each group includes only a pair of opposing elongated slots,the elongated slots of neighboring groups are arranged about 120°relative to each other; and an inner cannula assembly including an innerhandle and an inner cannula defining a plurality of circular openingsthat are arranged in distal, intermediate, and proximal groups along asecond length of the inner cannula, each group includes opposingcircular openings, the circular openings of neighboring groups arelongitudinally aligned; and a polymeric seal between the inner cannulaassembly and the outer cannula assembly; wherein the inner cannula isrotated radially to selectively align the circular openings of only oneof the distal, intermediate, and proximal groups of the inner cannulawith the elongated slots of only one of the distal, intermediate, andproximal groups of the outer cannula to permit aspiration through thecircular openings.
 2. The bone marrow aspiration assembly of claim 1,wherein the polymeric seal is mounted to the inner handle in a recessdefined within the inner handle.
 3. The bone marrow aspiration assemblyof claim 1, wherein the polymeric seal has a circular cross-section. 4.The bone marrow aspiration assembly of claim 1, wherein the polymericseal has a square cross-section.
 5. The bone marrow aspiration assemblyof claim 1, wherein the inner handle defines a first locking channel, asecond locking channel, and a third locking channel spaced apart atabout 120° intervals around a locking skirt of the inner handle, each ofthe first locking channel, the second locking channel, and the thirdlocking channel are operable to individually cooperate with a lockingknob of the outer cannula assembly.
 6. The bone marrow aspirationassembly of claim 1, wherein each of the distal, intermediate, andproximal groups of the inner cannula include a first array of only fourcircular openings opposing a second array of only four circularopenings.
 7. A bone marrow aspiration assembly comprising: an outercannula assembly including: an outer handle including a locking knob; anouter cannula defining a plurality of elongated slots that are arrangedin distal, intermediate, and proximal groups along a first length of theouter cannula, each group includes only a pair of opposing elongatedslots, the elongated slots of neighboring groups are arranged about 120°relative to each other; and an inner cannula assembly including: aninner handle including a locking skirt defining a first locking channel,a second locking channel, and a third locking channel spaced apart atabout 120° intervals around the locking skirt, each of the first lockingchannel, the second locking channel, and the third locking channel areoperable to individually cooperate with the locking knob of the outerhandle; an inner cannula defining a plurality of circular openings thatare arranged in distal, intermediate, and proximal groups along a secondlength of the inner cannula, each group includes opposing circularopenings, the circular openings of neighboring groups are longitudinallyaligned; and a polymeric seal between the inner cannula assembly and theouter cannula assembly, the polymeric seal includes one of a circularcross-section or a square cross-section; wherein the inner cannulaassembly is rotated radially and connected to the outer cannula assemblyby selectively locking the locking knob within one of the first, second,or third locking channels to selectively align the circular openings ofonly one of the distal, intermediate, and proximal groups of the innercannula with the elongated slots of only one of the distal,intermediate, and proximal groups of the outer cannula to permitaspiration through the circular openings.
 8. The bone marrow aspirationassembly of claim 7, wherein the inner cannula and the outer cannula arerigid.
 9. The bone marrow aspiration assembly of claim 7, wherein theinner cannula and the outer cannula are flexible.
 10. The bone marrowaspiration assembly of claim 7, wherein the inner handle includes aprinted number “1” aligned with the first locking channel, a printednumber “2” aligned with the second locking channel, and a printed number“3” aligned with the third locking channel to enable selective andorderly alignment between one of elongated slots of the distal group ofthe outer cannula with circular openings of the distal group of theinner cannula, elongated slots of the intermediate group of the outercannula with circular openings of the intermediate group of the innercannula, or elongated slots of the proximal group of the outer cannulawith circular openings of the proximal group of the inner cannula.
 11. Abone marrow aspiration assembly comprising: an outer cannula assemblyincluding an outer handle and an outer cannula defining a firstpassageway and including a plurality of first openings between a firstend and a second end of the first passageway; an inner cannula assemblyincluding an inner handle and an inner cannula defining a secondpassageway and configured to be received within the first passageway,the inner cannula includes a plurality of second openings between afirst end and a second end of the second passageway; and a flexible sealmounted to the inner handle and positioned such that the seal contactsthe outer cannula assembly when the inner cannula assembly is incooperation with the outer cannula assembly to create a substantiallyairtight seal between the inner cannula assembly and the outer cannulaassembly; wherein the inner cannula is axially movable relative to theouter cannula to simultaneously selectively align at least one firstopening with at least one second opening to permit aspiration of bonemarrow through the at least one second opening and to misalign at leastone of another first opening and at least one of another second openingto restrict aspiration of bone marrow through the at least one secondopening; wherein the first openings include elongated slots and thesecond openings are circular; and wherein the plurality of firstopenings are arranged in distal, intermediate, and proximal groups, eachgroup includes a first outer array of slots radially spaced apart 180°from a second outer array of slots, the first arrays of each of thedistal, intermediate, and proximal groups are not radially aligned, andthe second arrays of each of the distal, intermediate, and proximalgroups are not radially aligned.
 12. A bone marrow aspiration assemblycomprising: an outer cannula assembly including an outer handle and anouter cannula defining a first passageway and including a plurality offirst openings between a first end and a second end of the firstpassageway; an inner cannula assembly including an inner handle and aninner cannula defining a second passageway and configured to be receivedwithin the first passageway, the inner cannula includes a plurality ofsecond openings between a first end and a second end of the secondpassageway; and a flexible seal mounted to the inner handle andpositioned such that the seal contacts the outer cannula assembly whenthe inner cannula assembly is in cooperation with the outer cannulaassembly to create a substantially airtight seal between the innercannula assembly and the outer cannula assembly; wherein the innercannula is axially movable relative to the outer cannula tosimultaneously selectively align at least one first opening with atleast one second opening to permit aspiration of bone marrow through theat least one second opening and to misalign at least one of anotherfirst opening and at least one of another second opening to restrictaspiration of bone marrow through the at least one second opening; andwherein the inner handle defines a first locking channel, a secondlocking channel, and a third locking channel spaced apart at about 120°intervals around a locking skirt of the inner handle, each of the firstlocking channel, the second locking channel, and the third lockingchannel are operable to individually cooperate with a locking knob ofthe outer cannula assembly.